Automatic pencil-sharpener.



No. 69|,||7. Patented 1an. 14, |902.

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AUTOMATIC PENCIL SHARPENER.

(Application led Sept. 13, 1900.) (N 0 M 0 d e l.)

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CHARLES S. COX, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 691,117, dated January 14, 1902.

Application filed September 13, 1900. Serial No. 29,902. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. COX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, borough of Brooklyn, Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pencil-Sharpeners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates to automatic pencil- Sharpeners; and it consists in the new and novel construction and combination of parts comprising the same, as hereinafter set forth in detail, and pointed out in the claims, the object of the invention being to provide an improved device of this character that is cheap and simple in construction and eifective in operation.

In carrying myinvention into effect I usually inclose the pencil-Sharpener mechanism Within a casing or frame of neat and attractive exterior appearance, which is designed to contain a calendar and a pin-tray and locate the same upon a suitable base with an inkstand, the whole forming an attractive Vand useful desk ornament.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective' View of my improved device in one form of the same. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the pencil-Sharpener mechanisrn; and Figs. 3 and Il are detail views to be hereinafter referred to.

In said drawings,l indicates the outer frame or casing within which the several parts comprising the pencil-Sharpener mechanism are contained and supported. This frame or casing ,is provided with an inner horizontal wall or partition 2, which divides the same into two chambers, in the upper one of which (indicated at 3) the pencil-sharpener is contained and in the lower one (indicated at 4) thev lnechanism for operating the said pencil- Sharpener is contained.

A vertical drive-shaft 5, journaled at its ends in the upper and lower walls of the casing 1, extends through the lower chamber 4 and is provided with a loose gear-wheel 6 and a fast ratchet-wheel 7, mounted thereon, lthe former resting upon the latter and being provided with a pawl 8, connected therewith, which is engaged by the ratchet when the latter is rotated, so as to communicate movement to the gear-wheel in one direction. A power-spring 9, connected at one end with a iixed pin 10 on the lower wall of the casing and at its opposite end with the drive-shaft 5, acts when placed under tension and released to rotate the said drive-shaft 5, which latter is provided with a key or handle 11 at its lower projecting end as a means to wind up the spring, and thereby put the same under tension.

The gear-wheel 6 meshes with a pinion 12, which is connected with the lower end of a vertical spindle 13, which latter is loosely supported in bearings in the upper and central walls of the casing 1,so as to be capable of having both a rotary and a vertically sliding or longitudinal movement, the said pinion 12 being supported in engagement with the gearwheel 6, between two arms 14: 14 of the casing l, and having connection with the spindle 13 in a manner to permit of the vertical movement of the latter by means of a feather 15 on the spindle extending into a corresponding groove or opening in the pinion, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The spindle 13 is provided with an enlarged body portion 1G between its ends and in a position within the upper chambert, which is provided with a conical-shaped pencilreceiving recess therein opening through its upper end, into which recess the cutting edges of two knives 17 17 are adapted to extend through openings in the side walls thereof, the said knives being detachably secured upon the outer wall of the body portion 16, within cut-away seats therein, by means of screws 1S 18.

A lever 19 is pivotallysupported in a position above the gear-wheel 6, between two lugs 2O 2O on the under side of the central wall 2, and is yieldinglyheld in a normal position, with one end 21 bearing against ythe under side of the spindle-body 16 and holding the same in a raised position and its opposite end 22 engaging with a lug 23 on the upper surface of the gear-wheel 6 and holding the latter against the pressure of the power-spring 0. The lever 19 is held in such normal position by means of a coiled spring 24, which is IOO seated in a pocket in the central wall 2 and presses downwardly against said lever, as shown.

In the operation of myimproved device one end of a pencil is inserted into the pocket or recess of the vertically-movable spindle 13 and pressed downwardly until the latter has lowered the engaging end of the lever 19 suficientl y to raise its opposite end from engagement with the lug 23 on the gear-wheel 6, and thereby release the latter and permit it to be rotated under the action of the power-spring 9, which rotation of said gear-wheel causes arapid and increased number of rotations to the pinion 12 and connecting-spindle 13, and thereby causes the knives carried by the latter to cutaway the wood and lead of the pencil and give the lattera desirable point. Before the gear-wheel 6 has completed one revolution, but when nearing the same, a second lug 26 thereon, having an upper inclined or cam surface, is moved beneath the lever 19 and returns the same to its normal position, with one end raising the spindle 13 and its opposite end in position to engage with the lug 23 and stop movement of the gear-wheel and drive-shaft upon the completion of one revolution. The woodand lead shavings produced by the sharpening of the pencil are retained in the upper chamber 3 and prevented from coming in contact with the operating mechanism containedin the lower chamber 4 by the intervening wall 2. As a means to permit of the removal of such shavings a portion of the upper wall of the casing (indicated at 27) is removablysecured in position by means of screws 2S, as shown.

The lever 19, inthe present instance shown and as a means for supporting the same against undue lateral displacement, is provided with a central opening 29,th rough which the drive-shaft 5 is loosely received, and between such point and its spindle-engaging end extends between two downwardly-hanging arms 30 30 on the under side of the wall 2. 45

ing a rotating wheel having a stop thereon, for

operating said cutter device, a pivoted lever movably held in a normal position with one end engaging said stop on the rotating wheel and its other end engaging the said cutter device whereby it will be operated by the longitudinal movement of the latter to release said wheel, and means carried by said rotating wheel for engaging with the lever to return the same to its normal position at a certain predetermined time in the rotation of the wheel, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination, with the frame or casing, ofa rotary and longitudinallymovable spindle carrying a cutter or knife, a spring-actuated mechanism, embodying a rotating wheel having a stop-lug thereon, for operatin g'said spindie, a pivoted lever movably held in a normal position with one end engaging said stoplug on the rotating Wheel and its other end engaging the said spindle whereby it will be operated by the longitudinal movement of the latter to release said wheel, and an inclined or cam surface on said rotating wheel for engaging with the lever to return the same to its normal position at a certain predetermined time in the rotation of the wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES S. COX.

Witnesses:

CHAs. F. DANE, HERBERT E. DANE. 

